Illuminations
Three Canonic Reflections on the Nature of Light
I. light breaks where no sun shines
II. while gazing on the moon’s light
III. light is shattered into gold on every cloud
Commissioned by the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University
Completed in 2018
Duration: 20 minutes
Premiered by Escape Ten on June 6, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida
II. while gazing on the moon’s light
III. light is shattered into gold on every cloud
Commissioned by the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University
Completed in 2018
Duration: 20 minutes
Premiered by Escape Ten on June 6, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida
Program Note
Illuminations is a collection of three pieces which each depict a different setting of light and a related state of mind. Movement I, light breaks where no sun shines, features gestures that flare up or suddenly ignite. I imagine a flame coming to life and dancing unpredictably, reflective of the awakening of an untapped emotion in one’s soul. Some form of strict inversion canon is present throughout the music; most often this governs primary gestures, but at times it defines accompanimental ostinatos that lay underneath accented melodies in more freely imitative counterpoint.
Movement II, while gazing on the moon’s light, is more inward and meditative. Here I picture a state of solemn reflection on one’s life while standing alone by a lake that slowly ripples and sways under the moonlight. This movement begins with a prayer-like chorale that is heard first as a solo. The chorale then becomes the basis for an extended fantasy-chaconne as new layers of improvisatory decoration continuously unfold above the chorale’s harmonies, as if suggesting further and further digressions of the mind while attempting to search for clarity and meaning. The entire movement is a strict canon at the fifth, with the two players offset from one another by about 75 seconds.
Movement III, light is shattered into gold on every cloud, depicts radiant beams of light splashing color across the canvas of the sky. The music blazes and soars at breakneck speed, evoking a state of mind of euphoria and unbridled energy. Most of the movement is governed by strict canon at either the eighth-note or quarter-note, as if one player is a “shadow” to the other fighting with all their might to keep pace in a mad dash toward the heavens.
Illuminations was conceptually inspired by Jacob Druckman’s landmark work for solo marimba Reflections on the Nature of Water, and the movement titles come from poems by Dylan Thomas, Thomas Moore, and Rabindranath Tagore that feature light as a central thematic element. Illuminations was commissioned for the Escape X percussion duo by the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University.
Movement II, while gazing on the moon’s light, is more inward and meditative. Here I picture a state of solemn reflection on one’s life while standing alone by a lake that slowly ripples and sways under the moonlight. This movement begins with a prayer-like chorale that is heard first as a solo. The chorale then becomes the basis for an extended fantasy-chaconne as new layers of improvisatory decoration continuously unfold above the chorale’s harmonies, as if suggesting further and further digressions of the mind while attempting to search for clarity and meaning. The entire movement is a strict canon at the fifth, with the two players offset from one another by about 75 seconds.
Movement III, light is shattered into gold on every cloud, depicts radiant beams of light splashing color across the canvas of the sky. The music blazes and soars at breakneck speed, evoking a state of mind of euphoria and unbridled energy. Most of the movement is governed by strict canon at either the eighth-note or quarter-note, as if one player is a “shadow” to the other fighting with all their might to keep pace in a mad dash toward the heavens.
Illuminations was conceptually inspired by Jacob Druckman’s landmark work for solo marimba Reflections on the Nature of Water, and the movement titles come from poems by Dylan Thomas, Thomas Moore, and Rabindranath Tagore that feature light as a central thematic element. Illuminations was commissioned for the Escape X percussion duo by the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University.